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Would someone be able to date this plaque? The length is 8.5 cm. It was purchased in the 1960's from a dealer.

Photographed are two sides and a representative magnification of section of front.

In 1960 they would have been new....Wedding lock. I think that this one had a little color bath.
It doesn't pass the scratch test?
Ernest

You should rotate your piece 45 degrees counterclockwise (to the left) so that it would display the four Chinese characters correctly:

永保 (2nd picture, right to left)

長春 (1st picture, right to left)

The four-character sentence usually would mean "to preserve your youth forever" (as a birthday gift) but in this case I believe it can also be translated as "to preserve the love forever" (as a wedding gift).

I do not believe these characters were executed exceptionally well. The material of the piece, based on your pictures, does not appear to be jade (however, only a scratch test can confirm). It is possible its original color was green but its color might be altered by burning or chemicals (acid or alkali) to a chicken bone white. Very difficult to tell from low-resolution pictures. Therefore, I do not believe it would be made earlier than the 60s. At that time, quality jadeite, while not cheap, could still be obtained at fair prices.

Hope this helps.

Thank you for the reply. It scratched. Bought it as part of a neighbor's collection of Chinese items they bought in the 60's - 70's. Some good, some not so good.

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